A September Shout To My Subscribers
The Information Revolution Rages On. Thanks For Bringing Me On The Ride.
What may have been the world’s first “newspaper” emerged in Rome in the century or so before Christ. (Some sources pin it at 59 BC but others around 130 BC). The Acta Diurna or Daily Doings are said to have informed Romans of their magnificent victories (massacres of Celts and Huns), sporting events (bloody gladiator fights) and the latest intrigue in the Senate. So war, entertainment and politics like today. The earliest Daily Doings were thought to be carved into stone, which makes you realize, getting your writing out has always been a challenge!
It’s wondrous how much the Gutenberg Press in the fifteenth century must have transformed how people perceived the world, and let stories flow across continents without being altered by a chain of balladeers and scribes. It also gave us two centuries of religious wars before we got to Gulliver’s Travels, Playboy and The New York Times.
I was glad to taste the tail-end of newspapers in the 2000s when the print editions still mattered. I loved that feeling of signing off on copy before it went to the roaring machines and vans drove the bundles of inky paper to news stands. Yet it’s amazing how top-down newspapers were. You could write a front page for a Sunday edition with a print run of a million and not hear a word from a reader.
Unlike on Substack. I write stories here and get into rolling debates with familiar characters and receive diamond insights and feedback running through the comments and into Twitter, Insta and YouTube. This medium is not just a new place to write but is shaping new ways of how you can write and interact with readers. Which comes to you.
Like most writers, I give all readers a special place in my heart because you are literally our oxygen. And those of you have paid to make this happen get from me the best vibes in the galaxy. You are true fucking players.
I’ve now topped the three thousand subscribers overall, which is a good threshold and the stories reach many times that number. Welcome aboard to the newbies to unravel the craziness of organized crime and drugs in the twenty-first century. However, it’s only a small percentage who are paying, so if anyone else is really enjoying this and wants to chip in to support independent raw on-the-ground journalism then know it will literally buy you a place in Heaven come the Day of Judgement. Still, I understand that you are getting mails left, right and center from people asking for funds these days, and I appreciate every one of you who reads this whatever, and all your likes, comments, shares (or even just your thoughts) are breathing life into it.
I’m stoked the community of readers gathering here is truly broad and brings a real range of ideas to the table. There’s law enforcement who have worked some of the biggest narco cases, and reformed criminals who committed some bad acts. There’s academics thinking deeply on these issues, and families who have lost loved ones to bullets or overdoses. Every one of you has your our own story that has brought you here, from living in Mexico, living in a U.S. border state, growing up around drugs or just being fascinated by how this huge but nebulous part of our world really functions. My pledge is to try and keep bringing the best reporting and analysis on these issues without following any cheap political agenda.
Since the launch of this newsletter as a serious venture on August 7, I’ve been developing the format, although it’s a work in progress and your ideas are most appreciated. The main thrust is to have one major story or essay per week. I will aim to post on Mondays about midday eastern time. However, this can vary depending on breaking news and other factors, such as embargoes (This week’s piece will come out Thursday). These main articles can be put into the categories of Reportage, News, Analysis and History. You can search the archives that way in the navigation bar on the website (www.crashoutmedia.com).
Often I’ll have more than one story in a week bringing in breaking news and I’ll also write these letters (or shouts) to subscribers once a month. As promised, I’m working on an accompanying podcast but I’m not looking for another Q and A but worthwhile investigative and narrative pieces that take time. And I’d still love to bring in guest writers in the future and other snazzy elements such as videos.
I’ve been keeping all the stories free to read (which means those who have paid have been doubly generous) and building up the total audience. But I will start to make paid posts and other paid-only features at some point. And for those supporting to get the word out, please know that the stories are picked up by various radio shows, podcasts and news outlets.
For anyone in Mexico City, I’ll be speaking about my book Blood Gun Money along with Alejandro Celorio, chief lawyer at Mexico’s foreign ministry, and investigator Ricardo Pérez Ricard. It’s free and on Thursday Sept. 21, 3 pm at the Instituto Matías Romero, República de El Salvador 43 y 47, Centro Histórico.
For the newbies and in case you missed out, here’s a summary of what’s been on the Stack over the last month, in order of what’s been most popular. Until next time and happy fiestas patrias here in Mexico - stay well, stay safe and stay in touch friends.
The Paradox of Mexico’s Drug War and Peace - An analysis on how extreme violence lives beside normality and growth in Mexico.
How Cartels Infiltrate The Border Patrol - A look at narco corruption in America’s first line of defense.
Three Uncomfortable Truths About Bukele's Crackdown On Gangs - An honest assessment of how El Salvador has incarcerated 1 percent of it’s population to fight maras.
The Dark Truth of Mexico's "Pimp City" That Traffics Girls to New York - A report on the shady town of Tenancingo and it’s horrific sex trafficking to the United States.
The World's Most Famous Narco Wife Walks To Her Next Episode - A report on how El Chapo’s wife Emma Coronel was released from prison and what awaits her.
Ecuador's Gangster Warlords and the Murder of a Presidential Candidate - Analysis on the assassination of Fernando Villavicencio at a campaign event as Mexican cartels push into Ecuador.
America's First Drug Cartel Was Not Colombian or Mexican; It Was The Italian-Jewish Mob - A history on how the multi-ethnic American mafia built the illegal drug distribution network in the USA.
Copyright Ioan Grillo and CrashOutMedia 2023